It Was Worth It
by GaleSynch
Summary: One shot. Madara/OC. Family. "Were you waiting for me?" She nodded. "It took you long enough." A pause. "But it was worth it."


_Madara blinked. He's looking at her fallen form. His daughter's dead body. How did he felt when she died just seconds ago? Killed by one Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto._

_He loved her as a daughter. He loved the small emotionless girl, with blank red eyes, pale cold dead-like skin and those silver-white hair. Even if she wasn't his biological one. He picked her up from the streets, almost a lifetime ago._

_He still remembers. She was so small even for a small child. An illegal Senju child – fathered by Senju Tobirama. He wanted to train her so that he can use her in his battle against the Senjus. Use her against those compassionate people that made up that clan – weak at heart yet still so powerful._

_Her mother was of the Shikigami clan. A clan that uses paper in battles. He had taught her what he knew of that clan's techniques. He even stole some._

_He found an interesting fact about that clan. The reason why they were hunted down and killed. One of their forbidden techniques nearly made them immortal. They could place their soul into a body constructed of papers and continue to live. Which was what he had made Shinkyou do._

_She was compliant, she agreed quickly. She was loyal, she would do everything and anything for him. He wanted to make her an emotionless soldier. She was supposed to be a tool, a weapon for him to use. He would cast her away when she's no longer useful._

_Slowly but surely, he came to love her. He had never really loved his biological children anyway, but somehow, she was different in a way. He couldn't describe how though. She was just different. Emotionless as she may be, she still cared. Even though she no longer have a real beating heart in her chest._

_But there was one thing that he could not strip from her. She was merciful, she would spare those that she considered 'pure'. He couldn't tell how._

_It had been what cost her life. The woman, a genjutsu user, had just given birth. Shinkyou didn't want the child she had to grow up motherless, she had hesitated. And it had cost her her life. It was all Kakashi needed to kick her and for Naruto to deliver the final blow._

_She had last for nearly a century, in that paper body. Her body was crumbling, it must have been excruciatingly painful for her. But she hadn't complain or said anything about it – he should have expected that._

"_A tool ... she's just a tool ..." Madara murmured. Trying to reasure himself. Trying being the keyword. If she's just a tool, then why do you feel hurt?A sinister part of his mind asked cruelly. He squashed it ruthlessly._

_Naruto felt a weird sense of déjà vu. It had happened before. Back then, on his first C-rank mission. With Haku and Zabuza. Madara's and Shinkyou's relationship were the same._

_Zabuza had said he viewed Haku as a tool, but in the end, it wasn't true. He had loved Haku as a son or a little brother for the matter. The question is : Is Madara the same._

_He looked at Madara closely. Said man's face was carefully blank. Nothing on his face betrayed what he was currently thinking._

"_Useless. She couldn't even take on the few of you?" That did it. Naruto snapped. Madara wasn't like Zabuza who treasure his apprentice, he looked at Shinkyou as if she was just a tool._

_Now a broken tool._

_He felt white-hot rage consuming him._ _**Madara was going to pay.**_

* * *

_That _had been nearly a century ago. Naruto sighed. He had finally achieved his dream of being Hokage. It wasn't tiring at all like Old Man Hokage had made it to be. At peace time, its just full of paperwork which he had his Kage Bunshins to do, while he spent nearly his whole time with his family.

Something which he didn't regret doing. As an Uzumaki, he has an abnormally long life. He was already a great-grandfather.

As a child, he had always imagined himself marrying Sakura. But no, he married a normal civilian girl who was pretty in a plain way, her name was Akemi Yuki of the same clan as Haku. She was the only other ice-user that had survived. His descendants of course, had the same bloodline. A useful one. Now Konoha has another new clan with a powerful bloodline limit.

Now, at his deathbed. He didn't feel fear. He had had a wonderful life. All his other friends had already passed away. He was the last of Konoha 11. That generation that was considered legendary.

He couldn't gather up any other thoughts or memories either. Just one thought stood out.

Even now, he couldn't help but wonder whether Shinkyou was united with Madara or not. He knew that it would be what she wants. He was the only solid form in her life that passed like a whim. A life of lonliness.

And Madara ... in his final moments, Naruto saw regret etched on his face – when he looked at Shinkyou's dead form – as his body dispersed when Edo tensei ended. So maybe, he was like Zabuza after all.

It was something that he would never know.

* * *

_It's nothing like what he imagined it'd be. Death._ _He had expected to die, just not by the hands of one so young._

_Uzumaki Naruto. The one that killed her as well._ _Somehow he can't find it in him to be angry with the young man. Maybe because he already knew that his plan wouldn't work. His motivation was nearly gone with Shinkyou dead. It doesn't seem worth it anymore._

_There are many things Madara regrets not doing when he was still alive._

_He accepts it, the cold embrace of Death. _

_But, even if only for a moment ... he wanted_ _to hear her voice ... one last time._

_He opened his eyes. He looked around, he was surrounded by a vast lake or was it an ocean. He was standing on the water. It was endless, he would never be able to see the end of the water._

"_Madara-sama." _

_He turned. She was there, standing all alone under the tree. Odd, he didn't realize that he was already at the shore. But it didn't matter anymore. She was there ... and it was more than enough._

"_Were you waiting for me?" She nodded. _

"_It took you long enough." A pause. "But it was worth it."_


End file.
